Stocking and method of manufacturing the same



May 27, 1941. 2,243,613

STOCKING ND METHOD ,OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME A. VERBEIEK HA1. 7

Filed Aug. 12, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l "i y/e d9 ea Attorneys May 27, 1941- A. VERBEE K ETAL 2,243,613

STOCKING AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME Filed Aug. 12, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Attorney-s Patented May 27, 19 41 STOCKING AND METHOD OF MANUFAC- TURING THE SAME Arnold Verbeek, Wuestenbrahd, and Erich Eissner, Siegmar- Schonau, Germany, assignors to Kalio,

Inc., N w York, N. Y.

Application August 12, 1939, Serial No. 289,896

In Germany August -20, I938 3-Claims,

This invention is intended to improve a known method of manufacturing stockings having a full fashioned or French foot wherein a stocking is entirely completed on one and the same flat knitting machine, so that in order to get a stocking in its finished shape it is but necessary to make its longitudinal seam.

Stockings of this kind are denoted single.

seam stockings and, they were hitherto manufactured in that way that after the leg had been finished, the middle portion needles were brought up to rest, the heel portions were joined to the high heel ones, the loops of the heel courses, after a certain number of the latter having been made, were widened outwardly and at the same time the antecedent innermost marginal loops of the heel courseshaving been already worked upon were picked up by the knitting needles which became vacant. This results in the innermost marginal loops of the heel portions being carried on those knitting needles which are disposed adjacent the middle portion of the needle head whereafter the foot portion may be joined to the said marginal loops and to the middle portion of the leg.

For the p se ,of bringing up the marginal loops of the already worked courses of heel loops a particular narrowing device is necessary having for each'heel portion a part adapted to swing through an angle of 90. Such a particular arrangement of th narrowing device may be avoided, in accordance-to a modification of the known method, thereby that the inner marginal loop of each heel course is left immediately after having been formed on the corresponding knitting needle, said latter being then brought up to rest. In this way the inner marginal loops of the heel courses are positioned, after said courses are finished,'"on those knitting needles which are adjacent the middle portion of the needle head, and

the foot may be now joined to said marginal loops and to-the middle portion of the leg.

Instead of a single marginal loop, one may sponding to the humber of inner needles brought up to rest are set to participate outwardly in the knitting operation;

Owing to the widening or addition of loops onthe outer ends of the heel courses, a tension is created in the heel portions which manifests itself unfavourably in the finished stocking. In

order to exclude the influence of said tension on the shape of the stocking we are proceeding so that after an arbitrary but relatively small number of heel'loop courses have been made,

there are repeatedly carried out courses passing through the heel portions and through the middle portion of the leg. These latter courses provide for a relieving of the tension in the heel portions.

Henceforward' an improved method of manufacturing stockings according to our invention is disclosed with reference to the appended drawings in which:

Figures 1, 2 and 3 illustrate steps of maniacturlng a stocking with a French foot by our i'mproved method.

Fig. 4 indicates the location of the through-- loop courses, and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of a finished stocking.

leave also a number of them adjacent the margin on the corresponding knitting needles which are then brought up to rest. Further it is not neces-' sary to leave the marginal loops of each consecutive heel course, but it may be suiilcient to have the marginal loops of every second,third or fourth heel course, etc., left on the knitting needles and then to bring the latter to rest.

A constant breadth of the heel portions is obtained by narrowing the loops which do not remain for. the time being on their needles or in With reference to Fig.- 1, first of all a leg 1 is manufactured in a usual manner up to the line. a--b+def. Herein section o-d corresponds to the end loops of the leg middle portion. Sections 0-!) and e-]'represent the high heel and courses. I

After the leg is finished, the part of the needle head corresponding to section c-d is brought up to rest, and the heel portions Hnbnb and eenjnf are joined respectively to the end courses ab and e-f. The operation is carriedout in the'manner-represented 'on Fig. 4. After two courses ar-br and (la-b2 and respectively er-fr and ea-h are finished, the inner marginal loops are left on the corresponding knitting needles which are then brought up to rest. In the case of the exemplary-embodiment it is assumed that two inner knitting needles are brought up to rest. This'may be done in this way that specially formed transfer needles arranged on the narrowing machine take up the pressing of the time needls and that those ofthe frame needles which have to be Just brought up to rest are not pressed by the transfer needles.

During the pressing operation the said transfer needles are positioned in front of the presser edge of the knitting machine. Needles have preferthat way that an equal number of needles oorreably form d thereon. above their v s. p ism surfaces shaped as books arranged so that the transfer needles remain available for an ordinary narrowing (covering) operation.

For the purpose ofpreserving. a uniform breadth of the heel portions, the loops are either widened in outward direction, or new loops are exteriorly cast on by taking up new knitting needles. In the disclosed exemplary embodiment two knitting needles are exteriorly added. Owing to the widening of loops or respectively by taking up new needles and by simultaneously holding fast the marginal loops there are formed eyelets in the heel portions. However said eyelets are not objectionable to a good appearance of the produced articles, but they may 'be used as ornamental elements, because of said eyelets not being limited to one and the same column of loops, but being divided in two suchcoluinns spaced apart through a distance of one or two loops.

After a next pair of heel courses a3b3--l14-b4 and 63-f3, 84-}4 are formed (loop courses e1f1 are not represented in the drawings), the above recited sequence of operative steps are repeated up to course (18-498 and respectively esfa.

'Meanwhile, owing to the widening operation and/or bytaking up new loops, a substantial tension has arisen in the heel portions, said tension acting rather diagonally. The position 'of the knitted article on the needle head represented on Fig. 4 isnot quite as in reality, the pur-' pose being to render the figure more demonstrative. In reality, the marginal. loops of alternateheel loop courses are also located on' knitting needles lying in the same rows as the knitting needles of loop courses aa'-ba and'respectively ec-fs. Therefore the heel portions are i assuming a somewhat creasy conformation as itmay be seen from Fig. 2. e

In order to moderate, or respectively to remove, the influence of tension on'the shape of needles, but as follows from the representation .last courses an bn and respectively Cn-fn have been entirely or partly drawn oiT the knitting needles. In. conjunction therewith a foot is made, so that there is formed a stocking corre' spending to Fig. 3 and having but a single seam.

ailnishedstocklng, we form in conjunction with the course (la-bu and respectively ee-fs a through course aab9c1'-di-eo 'f9 which may be denoted as a relieving one. It -is to be understood that a-number of consecutive relieving courses also may be formed. Generally speaking, satisfactory results are obtained if one re- "lieving course is provided after eight heel courses, as represented on ,Fig. 4. As it is shown on Fig. 4, after eight further heel courses there is again -provided one relieving course bis-Cz-da-Gm. The figure represents also in conjunction a part of two heel courses having inner marginal loops bio-ban, At ,this moment those of the loops among the represented ones are carried byithe needles of the frame needle head which are particularly denoted by the addition of small cincles. After the production of a relieving course, those marginal loops of heel courses'which were previously carried on needles brought up to rest areno more present on said -As shown on Fig. 5, the relieving courses form an inserted wedge A, B, C to each side of the leg and foot middle portion.

1. The method of forming the heel portions of a stocking blank which comprises knitting heel courses of substantially uniform width while holding thetermin'alloops or the'wales forming the instep portion of the fabric, discontinuing knitting and holding the terminal loops of successive wales adjacent'said instep portion of the fabric during the formation of following heel courses, and interposing between selected heel courses afullcourse of loops extending across both heel portions and across the instep portion of, the fabric. 1

2. The method of forming the heel portions of a. stocking blank which-comprises knitting heel courses while holding the terminal loops of the wales formingthe instep portion of the fabric,

discontinuing knitting and holding the terminal loops of successive wales adjacent said instep portion of the fabric during the-formation of following heel courses, extending said heel courses" successively outwardly to maintain a substantially-constant width of heel fabric, and

between pre-selected numbers of heel courses interposing a full course extending across'the heel portions and ihstep' portion of the fabric.

"3. A stocking blank comprising a leg portion, heel portions comprising each a number of heel courses of substitially equal width, the innermost loop :1 eachbf certain succeeding heel courses forming the terminating loop of an adjacent wale outwardly considered-from the middle portion of 'the' leg, and a foot portion comprising instep courses connected by knitting to said innermost w'ale terminating loops, and includingaii interposed course or courses passing through both heet portions "and through the middle portion of the leg; 7

ARNOLD 

